Hand Tool Joinery

This workshop will focus on the basics of cutting common woodworking joints, predominantly through the use of hand tools. Through demos and hands-on exercises, students will have the opportunity to hone their skills while starting to build a library of sample joints that can be used as a reference in their own shops. Class will cover the basics of sharpening chisels, hand-saw techniques, accurate layout and marking, chisel techniques, and more. The joinery covered will include through dovetails, half-blind dovetails, mortise and tenons, and through wedged tenons. This is an all-levels workshop.

Skills and Techniques:

• Chisel sharpening
• Accurate layout and marking
• Hand saw and chisel techniques
• Dovetail joinery
• Mortice and tenon joinery
• Troubleshooting joints that don’t fit

Materials Fee: $50 paid directly to the instructor.

Special Tools or Equipment:

Safety glasses and hearing protection, Tape measure or folding rule Pencil (preferably mechanical pencils with lead, or 2mm lead holder), Combination Square – a 4” and a 12”is a good duo, Marking knife or Olfa snap-off type retractable knife, Chisels (¼”, ½”, and 1” are useful sizes), Cutting gauge and/or marking gauge, Dovetail saw.

Suggested but not required:

Sliding t-bevel, Block Plane #4, or #5, or #6 bench plane, Card scraper, Digital calipers, Shoulder plane, any other hand tools you prefer or use regularly, Drafting supplies/sketchbook/notebook.

Workshop and Cancellation Policies: Please be sure to read our 2026 policies before registering for a workshop https://www.sanbornmills.org/workshop-policies/